Well. Yesterday I went to Nan’s funeral at the Lakeside Crematorium at 11am. Just a small family service, really, in the chapel there. The service itself was performed by a Minister from the Uniting Church in Wollongong, who did a very thoughtful and moving job. Not really a religious nor a secular ceremony, but rather a quite appropriate fusion of the two.

Afterwards, Nan was to be cremated and then have her ashes thrown off the top of Mount Keira - however, that was to be done later, and most of the family, including myself left shortly after the service.

I’ve come to grips with it, now. It’s never a nice thing to have to think about, and I really detest funerals, but then it happens to all of us, and, at least in these circumstances, it was a peaceful death after a long, fulfilling life. In truth, who can ask for more?

As the Minister said, he would not ask people not to grieve after the ceremony was over, because that was impossible. Rather, he asked that we all remember Nan, in our own ways, so that, for us, she will always remain there. And so, like so many things have and will done in life, Nan has become part of my living memory, fondly recalled, sadly recalled, but always there.

I’ll miss you, Nan. But I won’t forget you. And though the grief will fade, I’ll still hang on to your memory.

Otherwise, life hasn’t been too bad to me recently… I’m in the middle of a Statistics assignment for Uni (3 questions, done one and a bit) have been to work, am looking forward to a few weeks off from Uni, am learning things in Chemistry this time around, and in general am content with the direction my life is beginning to take again… now that a few things have been resolved.

Perhaps, like I’ve mentioned to Jon and a few other friends before, I’m about to enter an upswing after the downward drag of the past couple of weeks. I do have another birthday coming up soon (where does the time go? Seriously, this has crept up on me) and the end of the session is just visible at the end of the tunnel.

Of course, there’s a few problems in other areas, especially in Epi at the moment, but I’m trying as hard as I can to resolve them and get those areas back on track.

Life. What more can I say?

-Andiyar